Tuesday, September 30, 2008

This is a great game that has been explained in numerous places online. As such, I'm not going to detail how to play the game with your dog. If you haven't heard of this game before, here is a great website that explains it quite well:Karen Pryor: ClickerTraining.com

Whenever I get my hands on a solid and sturdy box, I break out the clicker and treats for a game with the dogs. I've found that I can get different levels of tricks depending on the box I choose to use. Larger boxes usually result in better actions, and Romeo has presented some really cool ones on occasion. A favorite of his seems to be standing on the box with all 4 feet, then progressing to sitting on the box and laying down on the box. Today, I only had a small box handy, so the tricks are much less entertaining. The boys have a lot of fun, nonetheless!

Below is a video of Romeo's session. Gio's session isn't included, as he is significantly more exuberant about the game, and it often turns into "101 Ways to Destroy a Box" quite quickly.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Disclaimer: The following information regarding a raw diet for dogs is information that I have compiled through personal experience, consultation with individuals who have been successfully feeding a raw diet for many years, and large amounts individual research. I do not take responsibility for the misinterpretation or poor application of the following advice. Successfully feeding a raw diet to your dog requires dedication, research, effort, and a basic grasp of common sense and logic. If you are not willing to put in the required effort or are, to put it bluntly, and idiot, then there is nothing here for you. Feeding a high quality kibble is better than feeding a poorly implimented and unbalanced raw diet. If you are not going to do formulate a raw diet correctly, please take the time to find a good kibble and stick with that.

In the interest of brevity and presenting information in small, manageable bite-sized pieces, this article does not contain all the FAQs of raw feeding. In the future, I intend to add more FAQ articles to this collection. Please check back regularly for more Raw FAQ updates.

What is a raw food diet?

A raw food diet is exactly as it sounds. It is a diet comprised of raw ingredients, primarily meat, organs, and edible bones.

Why feed a raw food diet to my dog?

Your dog is a carnivore. Even though some dogs enjoy a snack made up of veggies, fruits, or grains, or will munch on fresh grass from the park, they need meat in order to survive. Additionally, while some people may claim that dogs can survive on a vegetarian or vegan diet, those diets require substantial supplementation and are essentially manipulating a natural system into running on something that it was not designed to run on.

We have to ask ourselves not "What can my dog survive on?" but rather "What will my dog thrive on?" Not "What diet is able to support life?" but "What diet is able to support optimal life?"

All dogs have evolved from a species of wolf. While their size and physical characteristics have changed dramatically, their digestive physiology has remained very similar to their wolf counterparts. Dogs possess teeth designed for tearing flesh, not the flat grinding molars of herbivores or omnivores like ourselves. Their intestinal tract is short, the stomach is acidic, they do not produce amylase, and the rate of passage of food through the digestive tract is rapid. All characteristics of carnivores designed to digest meat.

Are there different types of raw diets for dogs?

There are two main forms of raw dog diets: Prey Model Raw (PMR) and Bones and Raw Food/Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF)

The primary difference between the two is that the PMR diet makes the assumption that wild canids do not eat the stomach contents of the prey that they kill, or if they do, then the amount eaten dog not play a significant role in the diet. The BARF diet assumes that wild canids eat a significant amount of vegetable/plant matter. I feed a PMR diet, so the following information will all be based on a PMR diet. There are many many people who successfully feed a BARF diet, but if you are looking for BARF information, then I am not the one to provide that assistance. Much of the information in this article will be the same regardless of whether you choose to feed a PMR diet or a BARF diet. I am just not able to provide advice on balancing a raw diet with the inclusion of the veggies and supplements necessary for a BARF diet.

What are the benefits of a raw diet?

The benefits of feeding a diet that the dog was naturally designed to eat go further than just nutrition. Physiologically, the dog has a digestive tract that is designed with meat digestion in mind. That includes everything from the teeth designed to tip and tear meat, to jaw muscles designed to crunch bones, to a stomach acid capable of disintegrating raw bone, to a short intestinal tract designed to move everything through the system quickly. The digestive physiology also extends to the digestive enzymes secreted along the way that are capable of digesting meat and bone, but not plant matter as well as an excretion system made to deal with the waste products resulting from meat digestion.

If we fill that system with ingredients that it is not designed to deal with, then each part of the system is required to work harder and in ways that are inefficient and often unhealthy. As a result of grain laden kibbles, diseases like kidney problems, allergies, digestive upsets, gum disease, dental decay, skin/hair problems, and obesity are rampant in our domestic dogs. Putting undue stress on the organs can also have negative implications on immunity, energy, and behavioral aspects as well.

The most obvious benefits of a raw diet include great dental health, improved skin and coat, healthy sustainable energy (as opposed to the bursts of energy resulting from glucose metabolism from grain digestion), fresh breath, improved digestion, allergy reduction, and much smaller and less frequent poops!

Less noticeable, though vitally more important, are the potential preventative benefits of a raw diet. Many degenerative disorders seen in adult or elderly dogs can be prevented or the severity lessened by providing a natural diet. Remember, less stress on the overall machine means that the machine will function cleaner and healthier for a longer time! And we all want more time with our wonderful dogs!

Is a raw diet more expensive than commercial food?

It depends on a couple of factors:- What kibble you were feeding to begin with.

If you were feeding something like Old Roy or Kibbles and Bits, then no, raw will likely not be cheaper. But if you were feeding a high end or grain free kibble, then the price of raw can easily be lower.

- How much effort you are willing to put into finding "deals".

There are great deals out there, but you need to find them. If you are only wanting to shop at your local grocery store, then things will be a bit pricier. But if you are able to hunt out butchers, game butchers, farmers, hunters, ethnic grocers, etc. then you can get a lot of great food for low prices.

- If you are able to take advantage of bulk deals.

Many of the best deals come from game butchers, farmers and hunters. But often they are only willing to sell large quantities of meat. Selling only a couple of pounds of meat isn't worth it for them, but if you are able to take large quantities then you can get some fantastic deals. Many raw feeders have a designated chest freezer (or two) solely for dog food. Stock up on sales when you can, and freeze for later use. Or spread the word, make some raw-feeder friends, and split large orders between yourselves.

- What area of the world you live in.

Different geographical regions vary in prices. I'm in Canada and can average less than $2/lb for the meat that I buy. I know people in the US that average less than $1/lb for the meat they use. Fortunately, it is all relative. Usually, if meat prices are higher in one area, so are commercial food prices, so it all works out in the end.

Here is an example of what it costs me for either commercial kibble or raw. Based on 2 dogs, total weight of 55lb.

Feeding raw, averaging between $1-$2/lb, would cost me $37.50 on the low end to $75.00 on the high end each month. If I look around for good deals, then I can cut my costs to nearly half of what kibble would cost me. If I can't find deals and only shop at the grocery store, then I'm spending an extra $12 each month compared to kibble costs. Compare that to a high quality kibble and your numbers would be much different.

Is a raw diet safe to feed?

A raw diet is safe to feed IF you use some common sense! Raw is not fool-proof, and it is not idiot-proof. If you are not a fool and you are not an idiot, then you should be just fine.

Feed safe, appropriate bones. Practice safe meat handling skills, treat the dog's meat like you would handle meat for your human family. Clean up after yourself. Supervise all meals. And do your homework to make sure that what you are feeding balances out over time.

Does a raw diet take longer to feed than a commercial diet?

Pretty much everything takes longer than dumping a scoop of kibble into a bowl. So yes, raw does take longer than kibble. But, the amount of time it takes is not ridiculous. Once you get your own system down, then you can breeze through a meal in no time.

My guys are somewhat fast eaters, so a boneless "simple" meal will take about 5 minutes, including prep time, feeding time, and clean up time. A more complicated meal like a big raw meaty bone (RMB) will take longer, up to 20 minutes for feeding time, with literally no prep or clean up time afterwards.

I use some planning skills to fit raw into my life. In the morning, when the boys get their breakfast before I head off to work, they get a quick and easy meal. Something boneless or a simple RMB. If I know I have time in the evenings with no plans, then they get a larger RMB. You don't need to feed complicated and involved RMBs every day, so plan ahead and fit them in when you can.

Can a raw diet e fed to big/small/old/young dogs?

Definitely!

When feeding extra large or extra small dogs, you may need to be creative to find meals that work. But it is definitely do-able. Great RMB items for small dogs include quail, cornish game hens, chicken necks, rabbit, and fish. Then any boneless meat that you can get your hands on. Large dogs may require larger cuts of meat or RMBs, so consider pork shoulders, whole chickens or turkeys, lamb neck, pork neck, or pork ribs.

For young dogs, you want to feed for their ideal adult body weight. Puppies need more food for their weight than adult dogs do. So if you anticipate that your pup will weight 50lb when it is an adult, feed it as if it were 50lb right now.

Older dogs can transition onto raw without any issue. If there is a history of sensitive stomach, just take your time in adding new variety.

Can I feed a diet consisting of partial raw and partial commercial food?

Yes. The thing you want to keep in mind is that you should not feed kibble and raw together in the same meal. Kibble can take upwards of 12 hours to digest completely, where raw takes somewhere around 5 hours to digest completely. Raw needs to move through the digestive tract quickly so that it does not cause problems with bacterial growth. If it is fed with kibble, then its transit time is slowed down and bacteria is given a greater opportunity to colonize the gut.

If you choose to feed half kibble and half raw, then feed one meal of kibble in the morning and one meal of raw in the evening. Or feed one day of kibble and the next day raw, etc.

Remember, kibble is NOT a supplement! Feeding half of the diet in kibble will not make up for an unbalanced raw diet. So if you do choose to feed half raw and half kibble, the portion of the diet that is raw must be balanced to include appropriate amounts of meat, organ, and bone.

How do I start feeding a raw diet?

The overall PMR diet should be roughly made up of 80% meat, 10% edible bone, 5% liver, and 5% other secreting organ. These percentages reflect roughly what a prey animal is composed of.

When you are starting, start with a bland meat and easy bones. Chicken is very common as a first meat as it is cheap, plentiful, and easy to handle. Feed ONLY chicken and bone-in chicken for a week or two to allow the dog to adjust. Don't worry about balance right off the bat. Allow your dog to adjust to each new addition before worrying too much about the 80:10:10(5/5) ratio. This is your ultimate goal, but if it takes you a month or two to get there that is fine. Nutritional deficiencies will not manifest themselves in only a couple of months.

How much does my dog need to eat?

The general rule of thumb is to feed a dog 2-3% of their IDEAL ADULT body weight. That will vary depending on the individual dog and their metabolism. But a good starting point is 2.5% of their adult weight. If the dog needs to lose a couple of pounds, estimate what their ideal weight would be and feed 2.5% of that each day. Monitor the weight for a couple of weeks, and adjust the percentage up or down as needed.

Do I have to feed variety and how do I introduce new variety?

Variety is a very important aspect of a raw diet. After the adjustment phase, you should attempt to feed as much variety as is feasible for you. I try to have about 50% white meat (chicken, turkey, duck, fish, etc.) and 50% red meat (beef, pork, rabbit, bison, elk, deer, etc.). And within each species, try to vary the cuts of meat that you feed as well. For organs, liver must make up 5% of the overall diet. The remaining 5% organ allotment can be made up of any other secreting organ (kidney, thymus, spleen, pancreas, brain, testicle). If you do not have access to all of those organs, that is fine. But try to offer as much variety as you can.

When introducing variety, go slowly. Wait until your dog is well adjusted to one meat source first, then gradually add ONE new meat source to the diet. Feed a meal of half of the old meat source and half of the new meat source. Then the next day go back to the old meat source completely and observe to make sure that the new source was accepted well. Some dogs will take to new variety without any problems, but some others may have slight digestive upsets after a new ingredient is added. If so, don't worry. Just cut back on the new source a bit, and continue to add it gradually as the dog can handle it.

What are safe bones to feed my dog?

The safety of bones depends both on the density of the bone and the size of the bone compared to the dog. A bone that is safe for one dog may not be safe for a different dog.

In general, do NOT feed the weight baring bones of large animals ... like leg bones of cows, pigs, elk, deer, etc. These bones are much too hard and dense, and in a battle of dog tooth versus leg bone, the leg bone will win. Often resulting in chipped or broken teeth and a trip to the vet for a dental extraction. These bones are often called "wreck bones" as they will easily wreck your dog's teeth. Better to stay away from them.

Bones that are essentially safe for any dog include chicken bones, rabbit bones, and fish bones.

If you are worried about your dog gulping the bones down without chewing them properly, then feed LARGE. Giving something that is larger than the dog's head will ensure that they cannot swallow it all in one gulp and are forced to use their teeth to chew it up into appropriately sized pieces. If the large piece is more than the normal meal's worth, then just take it away when you think the dog has eaten a meal's amount of food.

What items are not appropriate for a raw diet?

Items that are not appropriate in a raw diet include any COOKED bones. That includes bones that are smoked, cured, bleached, or treated in any way. Just because they are sold at a pet store, doesn't mean they are safe for pets. It just means that there are enough suckers out there that will pay money for a dangerous item.

Bare bones are also not appropriate. The meat on RMBs acts as a sort of cushion to buffer the bones as they are swallowed and digested. Without the meat, it is possible for bare bones to puncture or cut the digestive tract.

Treated or enhanced meats are not appropriate. Many stores will sell "enhanced" chicken, meaning that it has been injected with broth, preservatives and flavorings. These substances can cause irritation and digestive upset to our dogs. So avoid any meats that are enhanced.

Cooked fats are dangerous as cooking alters the chemical structure of the fat, leading to an increased risk of the dog developing pancreatitis.

Processed meats should not appear in any dog's diet. That includes hot dogs, bologna, and deli meats. They contain salts, preservatives, and flavors that can be irritating to dogs.

There are also numerous raw feeding Yahoo groups. These can be a great resource, but be warned, many of the frequenters of these Yahoo groups can be quite abrasive. So don't allow yourself to be offended too easily.

No matter where you get your information from, be sure to check your resources and don't take anything at face value. I encourage you to do your own research, find people in your area that are raw feeders, and seek out a raw mentor. A great place to start would be your local breed club or kennel and obedience club. There are many breeders and performance dog handlers that feed raw, and I'm sure they would be willing to help you out and answer some questions. Learn from those that have experience and a long track record of success.

I hope this article was able to answer some of the questions that many prospective raw feeders have. This was not intended to be an all-inclusive FAQ list, rather just a source of answers to questions that people often ask when they are trying to decide if a raw diet is for them and their dog. Stay tuned, I will be adding new installations of Raw FAQ sheets in the near future.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Some of you may remember my post from last Sunday regarding the therapy dog orientation. This week was the follow-up meeting where all the prospective therapy dog teams were tested. Friday afternoon, I took the boys to a couple of agility demos at local nursing homes. Romeo did so well, that I started thinking that maybe I should see what he would do in a therapy dog test. The SJA head office in Regina closed at 4:30pm on Friday, so when I got home at 4:15-ish I sent an e-mail straight off to them. I was thinking that if they got back to me before closing time on Friday, then it was a sign that I should test him. If not, then no big deal, I would just test him later on or next year. Well, sure enough, the lady in charge must have checked her e-mails just before leaving for home for the weekend. She sent over the forms that I would need to fill out, saying that because all the "hard" paperwork was filed for Gio, I only had a few little things to do for Romeo. All things that I could fax in to them at a later date.

So there we were, ready to test!

The test itself is made up of 13 parts, each being done in a sequential order, starting with something "easy" and ending with the more difficult tests. The tests are designed to simulate situations that would be encountered in any normal visitation. So all sorts of people, rough handling, loud screaming or quiet whispers, dealing with mobility devices like wheelchairs and walkers, loud clanging noises, people running past, and large groups of people crowding in on the dog. The test is not designed to be easy, because these dogs will be required to get up close and person with people that may be quite frail. They need assurance that the dog will react calmly and appropriately in any situation.

Romeo took it all like a champ and walked out of there with great praise from the evaluators.

I'm absolutely beaming! Now TWO therapy dogs in the house! My boys make me so proud!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

I love this time of year! The colours are gorgeous and, not being very tolerant of heat, the temperatures are just perfect for me. I noticed this past week that the leaves were all starting to change colour on campus, so thought it would be a good idea to take the boys down today to get a few shots before campus maintenance got the lawn mowers out and mulched all the wonderful leaves into gross powdery dust. The lighting wasn't perfect (still shopping for my new camera ... maybe soon so I can take advantage of the leaves by the river while they are still out!), but I think the boys are so photogenic (no ... I'm not biased! *snicker*) that they didn't turn out too bad. I took a whole bunch of pictures, with the help of my wonderful assistant who ran back and forth behind me and did little gigs in the leaf piles to get the boys' attention where I wanted it (thanks mom!). Here are the best of the bunch.

Friday, September 26, 2008

About once a year I try to organize a dog demo at one of the retirement homes that Gio and I visit as a therapy dog team. I get a bunch of friends together, borrow some agility equipment, and we all put on a little show for a small audience. This year we made a stop at two residences and had great turns outs in each place.

The patio area that they had available was quite small, so we just set up a couple of agility obstacles to run through and did a few tricks for the audience.

Gina jumping

Romeo tunnel

Bentley tunnel

Gina dancing

Cody in a nice heel

And always time for a bit of a meet and greet afterwards!

Bentley

Cody

Gina and Katie

Gio

After that, we all moved on to the next retirement home. The green area available was much larger so we were able to haul out some more agility equipment and set up a little bit of a course. More dogs were able to join us at this point. Some agility "pros" and others just newbies, or agility wanna-bes.

Sparky the Border Collie

Bentley the English Cocker Spaniel

Abby another English Cocker Spaniel

My Romeo

Bailey the Cairn Terrier

Ty the Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Crazy Spazz-Case Gio

Gina the Miniature Poodle

Cody the Golden Retriever

While waiting for their turns, different dogs engage in various activities to occupy themselves.

There is the "chill out and relax" crowd.

Gio and Bailey

Gio and Romeo

Then there is the "roll in the fallen and partially rotten apples" crowd.

Ty

Cody

Thank you to everyone that was able to come out and bring your beautiful dogs. And thanks to everyone that was able to donate equipment to use. It would have been a very boring afternoon had I only had my weave poles to play with! We had some wonderful weather for the middle (I refuse to say "end") of September. And I heard a lot of positive feed back from the crowds about how much they loved the dogs!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

I went out to visit Romeo's breeder tonight. She has a litter of pups that just turned 12 weeks old, and I've been dying to see them! I love puppies, especially Sheltie puppies, they are just irresistible. It took a lot of will power not to try and smuggle one home with me at the end of the night!

The breeder still has Romeo's dam, though she is neutered now and enjoying the agility life. She's a great "auntie" dog and refuses to be separated from any of the puppies that happen to be running around at the time. It's always nice to see Romeo and his dam together, they play as if they were long lost friends, wasting no time getting into a good game of chase. Romeo can easily outstrip her in a game of fetch, though!

Here are a few pictures of the pups. The second tri-colored dog is Romeo's dam. They look very much alike, and in a couple of pictures it is difficult to tell them apart! Sorry for the poor quality, but you try to get 4 little pups to hold still for the camera!

Romeo checking out the young ones. "These guys aren't so bad afterall!"

Too. Friggen'. Cute.

Teaching the puppies the fine art of fetch.

Romeo's dam has had QUITE ENOUGH of Romeo getting the ball every time!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

I'm currently in the middle of final revisions for my Master's thesis. It's a pretty grueling process and I'm really looking forward to being done with the whole thing. I can see a tiny little pin point of light at the end of the tunnel now, which is a vast improvement over the pitch blackness that I have been stumbling around in for the past 2.5 years. Last Thursday I handed in over 100 typed pages for editing to my supervisor, on Monday I received about 50 pages back with some corrections to make and instructions to expand and elaborate certain areas. Today, I decided to stay home and tackle some of the longer revisions as it is much nicer to write in my own comfy office area with my sweat pants on and the pooches to keep my company.

I was quite proud of myself for the amount of work I got done today, so at around 3pm I decided that I deserved a break. So I dug out the camera and hauled the dogs over to the park for a game of fetch.

Don't know where Romeo was headed, but he was sure far behind Gio on the way back!

The ball is always fair game ... even if it's already in someone's mouth.

Even if you don't get the ball, you can make a new game out of racing back to mom.

That is a lot of effort just to leap over the worn foot path!

Gio is now giving subliminal messages that he misses flyball ...Now imitating our flyball team logo.